I too quit the "truth" and turned to heavy drink (and smoking, coke, meth, morphine...okay just about everything). I've been to rehab three times. Twice the judge made me. Once a wife made me. Did AA and all the rest. In the end it was up to me to decide to live or not. The only thing that worked for me was to replace the old habit with a pleasurable activity that did not allow the old. For instance I really wanted to quit cigs for good. I replaced that with mountain climbing. There's no way you can climb mountains on a regular basis and smoke. I quit 2 1/2 packs a day cold turkey and haven't had one since 1996. Pick something your passionate about and get involved with it. Drinking, when out of control, wastes a whole lot of time among other things. I always ponder a quote from the Chief in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". He was talking about his fathers drinking. Paraphrase: "One day I looked at him drinking out of that bottle and I realized the bottle was drinking out of him".
badcompany
JoinedPosts by badcompany
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25
Anybody else drink too much alcohol and want to stop?
by new light ini have been drinking heavily my entire adult life with the exception of about two very happy years and i feel it is now time to try and put it down (again).
it's hard, though, as there is no one to impress except myself.
last time i quit, at least i worked with some sober people whom i found much more relatable with a clear mind and that provided at least a little more inspiration to continue.
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24
Can someone help me please???
by safireblu64 ini have been raised a jehovah's witness and when i was 25 years old i decided to try and discover things for myself.
something just was not sitting right with me.
i had been a publisher since i was 4 years old and i gave my first talk when i was 6 years old.
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badcompany
Welcome to the board Safire. Your story struck because it's a lot like mine. The difference is that I started questioning things at around 17. My questioning was actually sparked by my unrelenting passion for all things JW. In high school I had the opportunity to build some of my own classes. I made one up of studying all the major world religions (with the intent of showing why JW's are the true one). The teacher that had to approve my curriculum noticed that 90% of the studies was on "Christian" religion and 10% others. I unabashedly told him that I knew all about "pagan" religion (I didn't) and they really didn't count. Wisely he made me divide it 50/50. It was an amazing experience to learn about how Hindus, Muslims, Buddhist, etc. lived. The real eye opener for me (as a future full time pioneer) is the suddenly the numbers didn't work. Matt 24: 14 saying that the good news had to preached through out... There's no way that the comparatively few JW's could possibly reach all these people. Besides that their frame of reference is completely different. A lot of good people are going to die through no fault of their own. That was just the start of my questioning.
I too left the org but I was only 21. I did come back and get reinstated ENTIRELY for same reason as you. To be back with my family. It did not last because after I learned so many things that are wrong with the way the organization operated I could not stand the hypocrisy in my life any longer. Anyway, you will get a lot of support and help here. Again, welcome!
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6
How did your family tell you to bug off? no contact, etc...
by carla ini am just wondering about what the usual method for jw's to tell you to get the heck out of their life until you shape up and come back to jah routine?.
one more question- let's say someone decided to go back but were possibly df'd, da'd or even just rumored to be an apostate, now they come back and they sit in the back and generally get treated like crap until the elders say their 'time out' is over.
can the family talk to them while they are in the dog house so to speak or do they have to wait until the elders give the ok?
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badcompany
I've always been curious about this. It seems to be different per locality and even congregation. I was DF'd in '80, re-instated '83 and DA'd '93. In that time my parents have flip-flopped. My dad has been an elder/PO since '72 in VERY conservative congo's. They took me in back in the early '80's when I totally augered in drugs and what not. They always check up on me (I talk to them at least every couple of weeks). Whenever I go to their house there is always a gin and tonic made for me... although nothing to eat. I think it's the "do not break bread" thing. But gin's ok. Both of my parents have been to my houses over the years. BUT... there have been changes from time to time that I'm sure are attributable to doctrinal changes or pressure. My dad actually called me recently to apologize for not being very friendly when I visited them.
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Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 Winter Tires
by Simon inso, after 3 and a bit winters in canada i finally invested in a set of winter tires.
up till now i've had a good set of all-seasons (goodyear assurance tripletred) and they have been very good even coping with a sudden calgary freeze last winter that saw accordian buses sliding back down the hill we were on (scary!
) and general chaos on the roads.. but, driving on the deerfoot on solid polished sheets of black-ice in rush-hour traffic is not nice and you could feel the car getting more than a little vague at times.
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badcompany
Thanks for the advice. I usually go to Les Schwab and tell them I want studded tires and I want to see nothing but sparks and cement dust. Unfortunately it is hell on the roads. I'm going to give these a try.
BTW. I spent the winter in Calgary back in '98. That's where I learned that the old saying "it's too cold to snow" is BS. I realized this when I went to cross a street, 40 below and I could barely see the streetlight through the snow that was moving horizontally. I was impressed with the way Calgary handles it. I guess you either get tough (and smart) or die.
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JW Shunning is pissing me off
by Hairyhegoat indisfellowshipping versus shunning.
the point of this commentary will be to show that the watchtower society's shunning doctrine does not adhere to the bible.
further, an understanding of congregational practices of first-century christians in the jewish culture is necessary for a proper understanding of the scriptures on this matter.. the primary scripture for consideration is:.
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badcompany
Wow, man... I understand your anger. Your first sentence is relating JW doctrine with the Bible. They do NOT relate. Don't let it consume you as a person or it will kill you. Put the lights up enjoy the season. Your relatives are just adapting to the latest whipsaw doctrine. I've been dealing with it for 30 years (my Father has been an elder since ~'72). The rules have changed recently as near as I can tell. My Mom takes my calls but Dad is always busy. Wasn't that way this summer.
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How effective the internet is in preventing the spread of the Lie
by dgp ini wonder if there is a way to know just how effective the internet has been in preventing people from joining the watchtower.
in my personal case, it did a lot; it was, i would say, crucial.
maybe i would have bought into this if i hadn't done some googling myself.
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badcompany
The internet and particularly this site saved me from going back. When I re-married my wife was interested in my old religion. She started studying and we started going to meetings (I had disassociated many years earlier). It was around 2000 that I started researching the net for all things JW. After discovering the UN flap, the blood issue in Bulgaria and the multitude of doctrinal changes since I left I could never go back again. Luckily my wife lost interest on her own.
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22
The best (& the worst) Halloween candy?
by serenitynow! ini've never celebrated halloween but i know what candy i would have wanted.
hershey bars, reese's cups, peppermint patties.. the worst for me would be mary janes, squirrels, any maple flavoured candies.
sometimes the expensive, exotic candies are the worst!
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badcompany
SN,
No, believe it or not we didn't get egged. It was the mid-sixties in a small town. How things have changed. Do that nowadays and the house would get set on fire by the Awake's.
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22
The best (& the worst) Halloween candy?
by serenitynow! ini've never celebrated halloween but i know what candy i would have wanted.
hershey bars, reese's cups, peppermint patties.. the worst for me would be mary janes, squirrels, any maple flavoured candies.
sometimes the expensive, exotic candies are the worst!
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badcompany
I know the worst. One year when I was about 10 I spent Halloween in town with a JW friend. When the trick or treaters came (by the hundreds) we would open the door and say here's something better than candy!And hand them the latest Awake... We were thrilled because we placed scores of mag's that night. The next morning we got to pick up all the Awakes off the lawn. And place them again!
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6
Someone Please PM me a link to the New Elder Book
by foolsparadise ini am interested in the new rules this cult will try and brainwash elders with.
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badcompany
Just google this: shepherding the flock of god download
Bingo...
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18
Nostalgia
by d indoes anybody here feel nostalgic for old tv and cartoons.it seems that with time televsion has gone down hill.i rember cartoons of the 90's and i see what is on tv now and i just lose interest, does anybody feel like that at times?
i know i do..
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badcompany
I heard that too. Can't wait! I've gotten rid of my satellite dish and just have cable for internet. I'm pure historical TV when I do bother to watch (except NFL which you can get live HD for free on the internet). I don't see the point in DirectTV anymore...800 channels and nothing on. Hulu has it all.